After Her Death, They Begged for Forgiveness - Chapter 53

Xu Bingqi hurried to the hospital.

The hospital held too many unpleasant memories for her. Before her rebirth, she had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at this very hospital. Xu Bingqi hesitated for half a second at the entrance, forcing herself not to dwell on those terrible recollections. She took a deep breath and walked in.

Just then, she heard the siren of an ambulance. Xu Bingqi turned around and saw an ambulance stopping in front of the hospital building.

Could it be Song Guanjin being brought in?

Xu Bingqi felt her hands trembling. They had slept together just the night before, yet in less than a day, Song Guanjin had met with an accident.

She stood there, holding her breath amidst the crowd, watching as the nurses carefully helped someone out of the ambulance.

But it didn’t seem to be Song Guanjin.

Squinting to get a clearer look, Xu Bingqi suddenly realized the figure looked familiar so familiar that she quickly confirmed the person’s identity.

Why was Xu Qingci also brought to the hospital by ambulance?

The original novel hadn’t mentioned any health issues for Xu Qingci at this point in the timeline, and before her rebirth, Xu Qingci hadn’t suffered from any ailments at this time either.

Xu Bingqi’s heart skipped a beat. Even now, there were moments when she instinctively worried about Xu Qingci.

But since Xu Qingci could walk down slowly with the nurse’s support, it probably wasn’t anything serious.

Still, no matter what condition Xu Qingci was in, it had nothing to do with her. Xu Qingci would never lack people eager to attend to her.

Even if no one was there to care for Xu Qingci, she wouldn’t be as soft-hearted as she had been before her rebirth.

Xu Qingci’s actions before her rebirth served as a reminder that she wasn’t worth it.

Xu Bingqi shook her head self-deprecatingly and dialed the director’s number again. “How is Guanjin doing now? Is she in the emergency room?”

“Yes, the doctor is arranging for imaging tests. Have you arrived already?”

The director hadn’t expected Song Guanjin’s “sister” to arrive so quickly. As he spoke, fine beads of sweat slowly formed on his forehead.

The production was already low-budget, and now the lead actress had fallen from such a height. This wasn’t just a matter of halting filming for a few days.

If Song Guanjin’s family member made a fuss and brought in the media, the entire project could very well be ruined.

After hanging up, Xu Bingqi turned and entered the hospital lobby, checking the directory for the emergency room’s location.

But the moment she turned around, Xu Qingci had already spotted her.

Her injured left eye had been carefully bandaged, but with her remaining right eye, she immediately recognized Xu Bingqi in the bustling crowd.

Her daughter had also come to the hospital.

Was it because of her? Could it be that Jiang Ruo had messaged Xu Bingqi while calling the ambulance?

It must be! Otherwise, how could such a coincidence happen?

Even though her daughter had said she never wanted to see her again, she had still come to the hospital without hesitation upon learning of her injury.

A faint glimmer of hope ignited in Xu Qingci’s eyes. Bingqi was still soft-hearted after all she still cared about her well-being.

During the car accident period, she hadn’t known it was her daughter taking care of her. But now she knew. She would apologize to her daughter, beg for her forgiveness, and tell her that all her assets would belong to her daughter in the future.

“It’s not a serious illness, yet Bingqi actually came to see me.”

Xu Qingci’s left eye still ached slightly, but she slowly managed a smile. “That child is so impatient, she even went looking in the emergency room. Go stop her and tell her I’m here.”

Her daughter had always been soft-hearted. If she saw that her mother had burst a blood vessel in her eye out of worry for her, perhaps she would feel distressed and finally forgive her.

As long as her daughter was willing to forgive her, she would give everything she had.

She just wanted to hear her daughter call her “mother” again.

Xu Bingqi had located the emergency room and was heading toward the elevator when she was intercepted by Xu Qingci’s assistant, who had rushed over in a hurry.

“Sorry, I’m in a hurry right now.”

Xu Bingqi didn’t stop walking, brushing past the assistant as she continued toward the elevator.

The assistant, sharing Xu Qingci’s assumptions, naturally believed Xu Bingqi was searching for her mother. Without hesitation, she grabbed hold of Xu Bingqi’s sleeve.

Just then, the elevator finally reached the first floor. The people waiting at the door hurried inside, and the doors slowly closed.

“Miss Xu, the CEO isn’t in her room. She just got out of the ambulance. Please come with me directly.”

Xu Bingqi froze for a moment before realizing the assistant had misunderstood.

She found the whole situation absurd. When she had cared about Xu Qingci in the past, everyone assumed she had ulterior motives. Now that she couldn’t care less, they were convinced she was concerned about her mother.

It was ridiculous.

“I’m sorry, I’m not here to see the CEO. I need to go to the emergency room to check on my friend, she fell from a height. Please step aside.”

The assistant was stunned.

She had heard a little about Xu Bingqi leaving home, but she hadn’t realized the rift between mother and daughter had grown so deep.

Shouldn’t anyone show some concern upon learning their mother was ill? Especially since Xu Qingci had even given up on the idea of Jiang Ruo as her successor, all for Xu Bingqi’s sake.

“Could you visit the CEO after you see your friend? She misses you dearly.”

The assistant didn’t let go. As Xu Qingci’s capable subordinate, she knew Xu Bingqi’s opinion didn’t matter fulfilling Xu Qingci’s wishes was what counted.

It seemed unlikely to achieve Xu Qingci’s main goal now, but a compromise might still be possible.

The elevator continued its slow ascent, floor by floor, and Xu Bingqi felt a wave of irritation rise within her.

She was too worried about Song Guanjin’s condition to make any other decisions right then especially ones involving Xu Qingci.

Besides, she could tell from the assistant’s firm but calm demeanor that Xu Qingci couldn’t be seriously injured. This was just another one of her mother’s tests, probing her limits.

“We’ll see.”

Xu Bingqi pushed the assistant’s hand away and hurried to the elevator, joining the others waiting as it descended floor by floor.

She needed to see Song Guanjin immediately to calm her nerves, only then could she spare a thought for anything else.

Maybe a cat wouldn’t be hurt from falling from a height? They say cats have nine lives, and a cat demon like Song Guanjin, who could take human form, probably wouldn’t be injured by a fall, right?

Restlessly, Xu Bingqi waited for the elevator to descend, unconsciously clutching her bag so tightly that deep marks were left in the leather.

The assistant didn’t stop Xu Bingqi again, sensing that further persuasion would only provoke her displeasure.

It simply wasn’t worth the backlash.

Xu Qingci lowered her head and smiled at the secretary, saying, “This coat was actually bought for me by Bingqi some time ago.”

After a moment’s thought, she sighed and added, “It’s a shame I haven’t worn it much since then.”

Xu Bingqi had given her many pieces of clothing over the years, but Xu Qingci had always believed her eldest daughter’s gestures were merely calculated moves to secure the family fortune. More often than not, she had the housekeeper discard the clothes as soon as they arrived, with only a few items tucked away in the most inconspicuous corners of the walk-in closet.

The secretary nodded, fully aware that Xu Qingci’s remarks were meant to be relayed to Xu Bingqi later.

However, after waiting for what felt like an eternity, only the assistant returned alone.

“Where is Bingqi?”

The assistant shook her head. “Miss Xu’s friend fell from a height and is currently in emergency rescue.”

The hope in Xu Qingci’s eyes shattered.

So, it really was just a coincidence. Bingqi’s rushed arrival hadn’t been for her sake, but for her friend’s.

And now, Bingqi had made her choice between her friend and her mother, just as Xu Qingci had once chosen between Xu Bingqi and Jiang Ruo.

“But I did inform Miss Bingqi. Perhaps she will come to see you later.”

The word “perhaps” was uttered softly, and Xu Qingci knew the assistant held little confidence in it.

“Her friend in emergency rescue is more important,” Xu Qingci said with a bitter smile. “After all, it’s a matter of life and death. My condition is just a minor issue caused by anxiety, but…”

She paused, her voice barely a whisper. “But I still wish she would come to see me, even if just for a glance.”

After speaking, Xu Qingci covered her left eye.

A sharp, fine pain spread from it, and capillaries seeped blood, once again soaking through the bandage.

Yet her mind drifted back to that eerie nightmare.

In the dream, even when Xu Bingqi was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, she had never once visited her.

In the end, Xu Bingqi died silently in a rented apartment, and she only learned of it through the news.

Recalling the details of the nightmare, Xu Qingci remembered that her dream-self hadn’t seemed sad, if anything, there was a faint sense of relief.

It was as if a burden she had carried for years had vanished on its own, without her having to bear any blame.

At this thought, the pain in her left eye seemed to travel through her bloodstream to her heart, and it ached along with it.

What’s more, it seemed Jiang Ruo had also been fully aware of the events in the nightmare. Could it be that these things had actually happened?

If that were true, then all of this was simply the consequence of her own actions.

Even if the nightmare were merely a dream, she had failed to fulfill her duties as a mother to Xu Bingqi for over twenty years. How could she demand that Xu Bingqi fulfill her duties as a daughter now?

“If she doesn’t want to come, then so be it,” Xu Qingci sighed softly under the secretary’s puzzled gaze. “This is all my fault, really.”

Twenty years of suppressing and resenting Xu Bingqi had long since eroded any mother-daughter bond between them.

After stepping out of the elevator, Xu Bingqi broke into a light jog, following the signs to the corridor outside the emergency room.

“How is she? How is Guan Jin?”

The director was taken aback upon seeing Xu Bingqi. “You visited the set before, right? I remember you.”

She had always assumed the two were in a romantic relationship, never imagining they were actually sisters.

“The doctor already checked her external injuries just a few superficial abrasions. We’re still waiting for the CT scan results,” the director chose to report the good news first. “But the doctor believes there shouldn’t be any internal injuries either, though she’s still unconscious.”

She didn’t quite trust the doctor’s assessment; in fact, she sensed the doctor was also puzzled. How could someone fall from seven or eight meters high and only end up with a few scrapes?

“Please, have a seat and wait for the imaging results. They should be out soon.”

As he spoke, the director glanced around to make sure no reporters had followed them before letting out a soft sigh of relief. Then, in a hushed tone, he added, “We’re still not sure about the situation. Could I ask you not to disclose this for now?”

She clung to a faint, hopeful illusion perhaps a miracle had truly happened, and Song Guanjin had emerged completely unscathed.

If so, the production would only be halted for a few days, far from needing to recast and reshoot.

“I understand.” Xu Bingqi nodded. Now that she had calmed down, she noticed many inconsistencies. “The wire harness should have been checked multiple times beforehand. How could an accident still happen?”

She suspected this wasn’t an accident but a deliberate act.

The director was stumped by the question. “At the time, we were all focused on Ms. Song’s condition and didn’t pay attention to those details.”

His mind had been filled with thoughts of the lead actress possibly suffering severe injuries and the scene being impossible to shoot. It never crossed his mind that the fall from the wires might not have been accidental.

“But if it wasn’t an accident, what would be the motive?” The director shook his head. “We’re just a small production, and Ms. Song isn’t a highly popular actress.”

He was being diplomatic. Song Guanjin wasn’t just not popular she was practically unknown. No one would risk breaking the law to target a minor actress and a small crew.

“It’s just a hypothesis.” Xu Bingqi was now fully composed. “Shouldn’t we report this to the police and have the crew members responsible for the wire harness brought in for questioning?”

The director hesitated. If they involved the police, it might attract media attention, and the drama could be swamped by negative publicity before it even finished filming.

But when he looked up and met the gaze of Song Guanjin’s sister, her expressionless face made it clear she wasn’t someone easily manipulated.

“Of course,” the director said with a forced smile. “I’ll report it to the police as soon as Ms. Song wakes up.”

Song Guanjin’s sister was undeniably beautiful so much so that she could stand beside Song Guanjin, who already stood out even in the entertainment industry, without being overshadowed. But why was her aura so icy?

He stole another glance at Song Guanjin’s sister and suddenly found her familiar. Was she the one revered as an “unattainable muse” after retiring from the music composition scene?

The director was stunned by his own realization.

Could this “sister” in Song Guanjin’s contacts really be Xu Bingqi, who had been trending repeatedly online just days before?

What was their relationship, then?

Xu Bingqi was no ordinary person. Someone who could effortlessly overpower the eldest daughter of the Gu family was certainly not a pushover. He had no desire to become Xu Bingqi’s next target.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the director said, “I’ll report it to the police right now.”

Xu Bingqi was unaware of the other’s convoluted emotional journey. He nodded gently and continued to gaze toward the emergency room.

She would wait here until Song Guanjin woke up.

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